Customer Reviews

DELTA BS150LS 5.6 Amp 10-Inch 1/2-Horsepower Open Stand Woodworking Band Saw, 120-Volt 1-Phase

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I ordered one of these saws last week based on mostly positive reviews. I was really looking forward to this addition to my shop and happy about what seemed like good value. I have to say that I was horrified when it actually arrived. The cabinet components are made of plastic. Mine arrived with all of the cabinet pieces broken or cracked. There were even shards of broken cabinet lying in the bottom of the shipping box. The plastic is obviously extremely brittle.

My main complaint is the upper blade guide. Mine came snapped in half in the box. Made of cast aluminum, it's a little larger in diameter than a pencil. The 90 degree angle where the guide post becomes the blade guide is all one casting, very thin material and sure to break. Also, the clamp that holds the guide post to the body of the saw is very flexy. This means that the that the upper guide twists easily with relatively little force.

All in all, I would say that this saw is a toy, not designed to last at all. I sent mine back and replaced it with a Harbor Freight saw for $20 more, on sale. The bigger saw has no plastic parts. It has a solid steel guide post. It has twice the horse power. It also has virtually the same footprint, so it doesn't take up any more space than the Delta 10".

I was a little skeptical in buying this saw with 7 inch resaw. I was pleasantly surprised. I wish it had a better fence. I would have given it 5 stars if not for the fence. Also I found out the main thing is to get a good blade. Don't use Delta, Vermont or any of those cheap $5 to $10 blades I use timberwolf blades (about $15) for wet (green)or dry wood. The slickest blade for all dry wood is the woodslicer ($35) from Highland Hardware with only a .22" kerf with a smooth cut. These blades will make all the difference in the world on how this thing cuts. I just cut some ash trees down and used the chain saw to cut them into 6" X 11" blocks. I then resawed them with the wood slicer blade to about 1 1/16" thick. So I ended up with 10 1 1/16" X 6" X 48" lumber. Mind you this is not a 2 hp unit so it will be slower but will do the job. So far I have resawed about 25 to 35 board ft of ash with it. I also use it as a scroll saw with the 3/16" blade from TW. I use 3/16" X 8T, 1/4" X 6T and 1/2" 3 tooth blade. It has done everything I have asked it to do, maybe a little slower but has done it expectionally well and I am quite pleased. Yes if I had the space and had the finances at this time I would have went bigger. For a hobbiest with the right blades it will cut and do everything you need.

The lower door on my 10" Delta band saw arrived with a big crack in it, but I decided that it would be less hassle to just glue it back together rather than return the unit. My only major complaint is the fact that the rip fence listed as an accessory for this saw (28-196) does not work. This fence is designed to be used with the 10" Delta model 28-195 (which Amazon has discontinued). The manual I got with the saw does not show any rip fence as an optional accessory and I was starting to think that I might have to return the saw after all. However, I checked the manual for this saw (model BS150LS) on Delta's web site and discovered that the rip fence model 28-181 is listed as an optional accessory. It turns out, the 28-181 fence is designed for the 9" saw. I bought one out of desperation and was relieved that it worked O.K. It doesn't clamp quite like it should, but if you unscrew the adjustor enough it can fit on to the table. The 9" saw has an 11 3/8" table but this 10" saw has an 11 3/4" table.
I tried to get Amazon to help me, but they only got confused and I ended up doing all the research myself. I doubt that they will quit listing the wrong fence, so be careful which one you order.
I havn't used the saw much yet, but it seems like a pretty good medium duty saw.

Check around for discount prices. It's not worth the $199 most places have it listed for. I only paid $76 for it (new in the box). That said, you are not buying a high-end professional band saw; if you need it, spend the extra $$$ for a "high class" saw.

A good starter band saw for small projects. It gives you the little extra strength over the Delta 9" and includes a stand. When all put together it's rock solid! Mine came with the bottom door hindge bent a little, but that didn't effect operation and something you can't blame Delta for (rough shipping was obvious). Setup is pretty straight forward, all the tools except for a 1/2" wrench was included. The manual is rather sparse on assembly (A. Assemble base to match the finished picture.....) A little common sense and it's pretty hard to do it wrong; I had my 3-year old put the nuts and bolts together. Moving the bandsaw after assembly is VERY difficult, which is good because it's so sturdy. I'm going to purchase the Delta univeral base (50-345) to make it easy to move around. It took about 15 minutes after assembly to make all the adjustments. The included 1/4" blade works wonderfully. The saw is quieter then I would have thought and does a great job on 1 1/2" hardwood. The fine tuning adjustments make all the difference in performance, so take the time to get it set right.

Like I said in the beginning, if you can find this locally for $100 or less, buy it! If you have a Lowes store nearby, they normally have one set up so you can "kick the tires" and see what you are getting.

I am a luthier and just odered a bigger Delta model but this bandsaw is a great little one. No vibration and yes powerful enough to resaw 7" at the condition that you buy a decent blade and take the time to set it up well like any other bandsaw. This is really the best deal for an advanced hobbyist. Really recommended.

I agree with a previous review. This saw is a toy. Not only it won't last but it also can hardly be use for anything else than approximate curve cutting.
The blade can't be tensioned properly. The table adjustment is approximate. The guard adjustment change when you lock it in position.
Overall, of all the tool I own, this is my worst investment.

UPDATE: The power switch gave up. I called the delta tech support and was surprised to have a good experience. I received a replacement switch 4 days later.

This is a decent bandsaw for 10" applications,but,it boasts a 7" resaw depth where most 10" bandsaws have a 3" to 4" resaw depth. The resaw depth is the entire reason I bought this saw, but it is not strong or powerful enough to resaw 7" thick hardwood. It boggs down and actually comes to a grinding stop constantly when trying to cut anything medium hard over 4". The deep resaw depth was a great idea, but it just doesn't work very well. Also the saw arrived with a broken foot, top tire far out of balance, and within a week. the bottom thrust bearing froze.

I was very excited when the Band saw arrived, and a little surprised to find two Delivery trucks delivering it. When It arrived I found the box crushed on one end, but figured it had to be packaged well. When I opened it , I assembled everything, set it up, but had to go out with my wife. I came back a little later, installed the blade, plugged it in, flicked the switch and nothing. After a little investigation, I found that the rear cover of the motor was crushed and the blades on the back of the motor would not turn. I removed the cover and fixed the blades and cover, reinstalled and all is well. Just a word of advise.... Inspect all deliveries when delivered, this was my mistake... Even though the shipping wasn't that great, the PRODUCT IS AMAZING....VERY HAPPY WITH THE SAW.

I own a Delta 8" bandsaw, and have generally been pleased with it. So when I wanted something with a bit more height capability under the blade guide, I looked into getting this product. I needed something to cut bowl blanks with for turning, but wanted a lighter, more mobile, and less expensive bandsaw than the traditional 14".

What a disappointing product this turned out to be.

First, the packaging is insufficient to protect a bandsaw of this size and weight for shipping. The initial shipment never even got to me as UPS showed it as "Damaged" in their tracking system enroute. When I got the replacement, it too was damaged: motor fan shroud dented and blade tension screw bent.

The quality of the product itself is poor. The cast iron frame showed a lot of mould marks and flashing, and the plastic cover cracks easily. The upper and lower wheel access doors sag on their hinges. I couldn't get the blade to track properly on the lower wheel. When I checked for parallel with the upper wheel, I found the lower to be tilted back by almost ¼". The only way to fix it would have been to pull the wheel (direct drive), remove the motor, and shim the frame at the motor attach points. The various blade guide adjustment screws were tightened down so severely I was afraid I would twist off the heads of the hex screws. After several hours of trying to tune this saw into usable shape, I gave up and began return proceedings.

In summary, stay away from this product.

I bought my saw, on sale, for under $130. No damage, easy setup. I balanced the wheels, replaced the guide bearings with good sealed units, added cool blocks and a wolf blade. Re-saws 4" hardwood within .010". The fence is so-so, but only $25. You get what you pay for.